Settling the Score
by AthenaMay24
Summary: Nell and Eric finally settle the question of Nell's IQ. A story of how Neric came to be. Rated just because I'm paranoid. All main team members eventually make an appearance. I own nothing.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This is my story for how Neric essentially plays out. This came out of a PM conversation with ****somuchmorethanpartners**** and she suggested that I try to write this. She also helped me with some information about the show, so if anything is wrong blame her. Kidding, if something is incorrect, it's most definitely my fault, not hers! So, anyway, here it is, I hope y'all like it!**

Ch. 1

Intelligence Analyst Nell Jones had pretty much always known that Eric Beale liked her. She wasn't exactly sure when she figured it out, or even when she figured out that she harbored feelings for the geeky surfer herself, but she couldn't exactly deny it. To herself or to Eric when he finally worked up the nerve to ask, on like their third or fourth semi-awkward, teenagerish date. Their first semi-awkward, teenagerish date, the one that started it all, was sorta unconventional, as well.

~o0o~

"Hey, Nell?"

"Hmm . . .?" Nell responded, not quite looking up from the screen in front of her. She was in the middle of an interesting bit of tracking and was only partly paying attention to her partner in OPS.

Eric coughed nervously, "Uh, I was wondering, when this case is over . . . do you wanna go out for a drink or something? Just the two of us? I mean, not like . . . I mean if you want. Do you want?" he ran a hand through his hair.

Nell turned and finally gave Eric her full attention, "Eric, you do realize that we are currently tracking members of a notorious gang, known for harming children to get their way, right?"

"Well, yeah, but—"

"And you choose now to finally ask me out?"

"Um . . . yes? It doesn't have to be a date, unless you want . . ." Eric stuttered, trying to find the right words to say. Nell just turned back to her computer, leaving Eric looking at her uncertainly, "Uh . . . Nell?"

"Pick me up at eight, computer-brain," Nell said, rolling her eyes, "But if you don't get to work, we won't catch these guys and they could hurt more children, and I refuse to date guys who indirectly aid in children harming."

"So, it _is_ a date?"

"Get to work," Nell said, biting back a smile at Eric's obvious excitement.

Nell had stopped smiling when she realized what she'd just done. She'd agreed to do on a date with _Eric_. Not that she didn't like him. She liked him a lot, actually. And that was the problem.

How could she have been so stupid? Eric would obviously been just fine with going out as friends but she, with her stupid super-brain, had realized how he felt a long time ago and, coupling that with her own affections, had agreed to a date! Hell, she'd been the one to suggest it! What was wrong with her?

What _was _wrong with her? It's just Eric. No big deal, she sees him every day. And it's not like she _doesn't_ want to date Eric . . .

Nell heard the doorbell ring, breaking her out of her musings. Standing, she straightened her dress. It wasn't anything special, she'd worn it to work a million times, but Eric had once told her it brought out the green in her eyes.

The night was warm, but she'd brought a light cardigan in case the restaurant was cold (Eric had told her since it was a date, he'd splurge for dinner to go with the already offered drink). She placed the cardigan in her lap as she slid into the shotgun seat of Eric's car, to hide the nervous movements of her hands. She watched Eric as he shut the car door for her and went around the front to get in the driver's side.

"Hey," she said when he got in, the first one to speak, even though he'd awkwardly met her at her door and led her to the car.

"Hey," he started the car, "What's up?"

"Right now? The roof of your car."

"Thanks, I really needed you to tell me that, even though I'm way closer to it than you are."

Nell rolled her eyes (It's amazing how often she found herself doing that around Eric) and said, "So, Wolfram, where are you taking me?"

"What, someone with an IQ like yours can't figure that out?"

"Nice try, but I'm not telling you my IQ."

"C'mon, you can't hold out on me forever!"

Nell snorted, "Me telling you my IQ would be about as likely as . . . as us getting married!"

"So all I have to do to find out is marry you? I think I get the better end of that bargain."

She blushed, but nodded anyway, "Sure, Eric, the day I marry you is the day you find out how much of a genius I really am."

"Well, then, Nell Jones, will you marry me?"

"Nope. We haven't even finished our first date yet. Seems a bit early for marriage, don't you thing?" she raised an eyebrow, "And, you still haven't told me where that first date will be taking place," she added pointedly.

"Right. How does McDonald's sound?"

"What?"

"Kidding. But it would be cheaper than the fancy Italian place I made reservations at."

"What fancy Italian place, Olive Garden?" Nell laughed.

~o0o~

That's how it all started. After their first date, they'd started going out more and more often. And when Eric slipped up and called Nell his girlfriend . . . well, she'd realized just how much she liked the sound of that.

**A/N Please review, especially if you have something good to say! Once again, I'm kidding, I love feedback of all kinds. I'm thinking, for the next chapter, the third or fourth date. How's that sound? Thanks for reading, everyone out there in internet-land!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N I just wanted to add that somuchmorethanpartners also helped me with the title for this fic as well. Oh, and this is in third-person limited POV, and limited to Eric. The first chapter was limited to Nell. I plan to alternate. PS: I just posted this for the first time a few minutes ago, but I noticed some mistakes, so I fixed them and reposted. **

Ch. 2

Technical Operator and Intelligence Analyst Eric Beale really liked Nell Jones. Really, really liked her. A lot. But Nell was just so . . . so incredible. And Eric was so . . . so not. So imagine his surprise when she actually wanted to go out with him. More than once. Weird, right? And she wanted to _keep_ going out with him too. It was really quite something.

~o0o~

"Hey, Eric?"

"Yep?" Eric looked up from his computer game. They were between cases, so the two 'meerkats' in Ops were just hanging out, messing around.

"Can we do something this weekend?" Nell asked, somewhat shyly, well, for her at least.

"Like what?"

"I don't care. It could even be McDonald's," Nell said, smiling. He loved that smile.

Despite her teasing, and their running joke, McDonald's was where they ended that Saturday night, after a long drive around town looking for somewhere better.

That's where the best night of Eric's life, the best night up until that point, at least, started. Under the golden arches and over cheap fries and shakes.

"So . . . Even geniuses like fast food?" Eric asked slyly, watching Nell dip a fry in the whipped cream on his shake.

"Don't even go there. I mean it," she said, waving the fry at him.

"Wow, you are a genius, guessing what I'd say. You're amazing, will you marry me?" he asked, nabbing one of her fries.

"Still no. This is what, our fourth date? Plus, it doesn't help your case that I know you're only asking to get certain information from me," Nell said teasingly.

Eric sighed, "Would you ever consider it? Marrying me, I mean?"

"What?" Nell looked startled.

"I mean . . . Eventually?" Eric stuttered. (Why did Nell always make him do that?)

"Eric . . ."

"I know it's early but . . . I just kinda want to know what—"

"Eric, shut up, before you propose for real," Nell said, rolling her eyes in that cute way of hers, "I know what you're trying to ask."

"You do?"

"Yeah, I'm a genius remember? And . . . And I've spent some time thinking—"

"What else is new?" Eric said. He knew he probably shouldn't interrupted her when she was spilling her feelings, but sometimes he just couldn't help the smart-alec-y-ness.

Nell snorted, "Eric, I think we could go a long way. Marriage? I don't know. But I want to give it a shot."

"Really? Me too. I . . .like you."

"What are we teenagers?" Nell affected a high-pitched voice, "You _like-like_ me?" She threw in a silly giggle that reminded Eric of the preps he went to high school with. He figured that she had some of the same experiences with them that he did.

Eric laughed and made his voice high too, "Yes, yes I do."

"I like-like you back. Call me?" Nell winked.

"You got it, Nelly dear."

~o0o~

It was a crazy good feeling, finding out that Nell liked him. Yes, liked-liked him. But, boy, seeing Nell jealous, wow, that was even better.

**A/N So what do y'all think? Does this stay in character? Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Thanks to somuchmorethanpartners for her help! Please review and that's about all I have to say. **

Ch. 3

Now that Nell had gotten her feelings out, things were a lot better. Sorta. She was still unsure what exactly they were. Until, one day, Eric solved that problem for her.

~o0o~

"My girlfriend, that's who!" was all Nell heard as she walked into Ops.

"What? Who's your girlfriend?" Nell asked as she came up behind Eric, who jumped. Eric put his hand over the speaker on his phone.

"Uh, you are?" he said uncertainly.

"I am?" Nell squinted, "Are you talking to Ira?"

"Gotta go," Eric said into the phone before hanging up and turning to face Nell. "Um, yeah, I was."

Nell rolled her eyes. "Must you two always try to one up each other?"

"What do you mean?"

"You are always trying to outdo each other. The whole 'my horse is bigger than your horse' thing."

"Is that what you think that was?" Eric looked really shocked and almost hurt.

Well, that's what she _had _thought. Now she wasn't so sure. It seemed obvious that Eric was just trying to prove his dominance over Ira by pulling the girlfriend card. But, that apparently wasn't it. So, what is it? She didn't know, so she just nodded hesitantly to his question.

"No! He was just making me mad, that's all."

Nell raised an eyebrow, and that one little eyebrow spoke volumes, a trick she learned from Hetty.

Eric sighed, "Ira keeps talking about you in a way I don't appreciate. Apparently you made quite the impression on him." This time it was Eric rolling his eyes, "So, I told him to cut it out and he was all like, 'What's she to you?' and . . . that's when you came in." he paused and ran a hand through his hair, "Was that wrong? We never talked about . . . it kinda just came out."

She walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist, "I think it sounds perfect."

Nell felt Eric's sigh of relief. "Me too," he said. He pulled back from her embrace to look at her. "You really thought I was using you to prove I'm better than Ira?"

Nell ducked her head, "Yeah. Sorry."

"S'okay."

"Thanks for standing up to Ira for me." Eric looked like he was about to say something but Nell held up a hand to stop him, "I really don't need to know what he was saying."

"Good. I don't want to repeat it." Eric kept his hand around her waist as they left Ops together, no longer caring if anybody saw them. "Why is it all my friends are attracted to my girlfriend? Besides the fact that she's very attractive," he asked the empty room, bumping Nell playfully.

Nell shrugged and smirked, "I guess geeks and nerds just love me."

"Must be because you can actually keep up with them. Wait, I'm sorry, you keep up with and then pass them. They've never seen a girl do that before, let alone a pretty girl."

"Aww, you think I'm pretty?"

"Yep, pretty and smart . . . but, just how smart is it exactly?"

"Smarter than you, that's all you need to know. You remember our deal." They'd reached the parking lot. On an impulse, Nell stood on tiptoe and kissed Eric on the cheek. Bouncing back down on the balls of her feet, she smirked at the stunned look on his face and spun on her heel toward her car.

She didn't get very far before she felt strong arms grab her around her middle and pull her back. She made a small noise and looked up over her shoulder into Eric's smiling face. And then he kissed her. She was so surprised, she just let him hold her like that and kissed him back, twisted around in his arms. They'd kissed before, but somehow this time was different.

"Sorry," Eric said as soon as they broke apart.

"God, Wolfram, you kiss me like _that_ and 'sorry' is all you can say?" Nell said breathlessly. Eric started to say something else (probably apologize again) but Nell cut him off by way of pulling him down to kiss him again.

~o0o~

Kissing Eric was something that Nell came to really enjoy. She had been so surprised that it had been _Eric _who kissed _her_. It was a pleasant surprise. As was the time she actually met his parents.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Just wanted to thank somuchmorethanpartners again for this chapter and ncislosangeles for all the kind words. Thanks to y'all and thanks to anyone who reads this!**

Ch. 4

At the start of that day, Eric Beale thought that there was nothing better than being at the beach, surfing, and hanging out with Nell Jones in a bikini. But a _jealous_ Nell Jones in a bikini . . . well, after he was no longer afraid she was going to kill him, that was pretty sweet too.

~o0o~

"Oh, um, he-hey, Nell . . ." Eric looked up at his very angry looking girlfriend.

"Hey, _Wolfram, _what's up," she said dangerously. She was holding two snow-cones, a red and a blue. "Who're your friends?"

Eric looked over at the two girls standing over by his surfboard, realizing now why Nell was acting so mad. He broke into a grin, "Oh, you're jealous." She gave him one of her looks and he quickly stopped smiling. She definitely wasn't ready for teasing yet. Maybe he should start explaining. "They're tourists from some land-locked state. They saw me come in and wanted to meet a real surfer," Eric shrugged. Maybe he also shouldn't have agreed to let then take a picture with him. Nell must have walked up and seen him with his arms around two other girls. Oops.

"You're my surfer. Tell them to get their own," Nell said, sitting down in her beach chair. At least she didn't seem mad anymore. And she'd called him _her_ surfer.

Okay, maybe she wasn't mad, but she must have been feeling a little vindictive, because now he had to get rid of the girls. Nell smirked at him and took a bite of her snow-cone.

"Uh, hey," Eric walked over to where the still giggling tourist were taking pictures with his surfboard, feeling Nell's eyes on him. Why had she been jealous of these airheads? They turned to look at him. "I'm not really all that cool," he said, running a hand through his hair, "I'm a computer geek. A big one. I have a favorite element. And a girlfriend. But if you want a _real_ surfer, I have a friend who's just what you're looking for." He gave them Deeks' number and they left, giggling over they're phones.

Sighing, he went back over to Nell and sat on the towel beside her chair. She handed him down his snow-cone. "If it makes you feel any better, I like geeks, especially the computer kind. But I'm not sure you should've given them Deeks' number. Kensi is gonna kill you." Nell said, ruffling his damp hair.

"Yeah, well, I thought _you_ were going to kill me a minute ago."

Nell rolled her eyes and looked at her snow-cone, blushing slightly.

Eric grinned, "A big IQ like yours and you thought I'd actually like one of those idiots?" Nell shrugged but before she could respond, he added, "And I know your rule, I have to wait until marriage."

Nell snorted, "God, I'm so glad you didn't say that where someone could hear."

"What, why?" Then he got it, "Oh, right. I meant that I know you won't tell me until . . ." He blushed.

Nell laughed, "You're cute when you're embarrassed."

"And you're cute when you're jealous."

"I was not jealous. Being jealous implies that I don't trust you, which I do. I was just annoyed that you had your arms all over those girls."

"Uh-huh. That's called being jealous."

Nell made a cute noise and scooped up some of her snow-cone on her spoon and flicked it at him, catching him by surprise.

Eric blinked and wiped the red syrup from his face, "You are so lucky I wasn't wearing my glasses. Do you know how hard it is to clean sugary liquid off of them?" Then he smiled, "I guess I have to wash off now."

"What? No—" Nell got out before Eric picked her up and half-carried and half-dragged her toward the water. Even though she was squirming and squealing, he couldn't get over how great it felt to have her in his arms.

He hadn't exactly planned on dunking her, but when they got out about waist deep, he tripped and they both fell under the water.

Nell came up, dripping wet, about a half a second after he did. She pushed her hair out of her eyes with, once again, a dangerous look on her face. Uh-oh. Eric started to apologize, but suddenly Nell's look turned onto a wicked smile and she splashed him as hard as she could.

Eric got a mouthful of salty ocean water, not the first time it happened, but the first time at the hands of his girlfriend. He threw caution to the wind and splashed her back. Nell retaliated by tackling him and pushing him back into the water.

They horse-played for a while, but eventually Nell said she'd had enough , so Eric followed her out of the water and back toward their stuff. She picked up a spare towel, wiped her face, and spread it out on the chair before plopping down. They were both still a little out of breath. Nell reclined in her chair, turning her face upwards and closing her eyes.

"Why are you staring at me?" she asked after a while, eyes still closed. Eric hadn't realized he was. How did she . . . with her eyes closed . . .?

"Because you're beautiful," he said simply.

Nell finally opened her eyes and raised an eyebrow, "I'm wet, covered in salty water and sand and my mouth is probably stained red from the snow-cone."

"Yes, you're wet, salty, sandy, red-mouthed, and beautiful."

She pursed her lips, "Well, thank you, I guess."

Eric laughed, "I think the proper response to that would be a kiss."

"Well, then, c'mere."

He did and she kissed him sweetly. "How was that for a proper response?" she asked when she pulled back.

"Um, I'm not sure, run that by me again?"

Nell laughed and playfully put a hand on his chest to push him back onto the sand. He just bumped backwards on his butt and stretched out on the sand, watching the waves roll in. He really hadn't surfed as much as he'd liked to. The waves were great today. But he was here with Nell and he wanted to spend time with her more than he wanted to surf.

"Go, you know you want to get out there," Nell said, breaking him from his thoughts. He hadn't noticed her watching him.

"Oh, no, it's fine—"

"Go surf, you dingbat!" she said, waving a hand toward the beckoning sea.

"Dingbat?" Eric asked. "What's a dingbat?"

Nell shrugged, "Who knows? My mom used to call my dad a dingbat when he was being silly."

"Oh. What's silly about wanting to hang out with you?"

"Nothing, except you obviously want to be out there surfing. Go, now. I'll be fine." Nell pulled a book from her bag, "I'll finish my book and watch you."

"Okay, thanks." He picked up his surfboard and looked at Nell one last time. If two girls had approached him earlier, who knows who's gonna come after _Nell_. He almost didn't want to leave.

"Why are you still here?" Nell asked, not looking up from her book. How does she _do_ that?

"Sorry, I'm going now." What was he thinking? Nell can handle herself. He was sure she had her gun in her bag somewhere anyway.

~o0o~

Nell _was_ cute when she was jealous and she _was _beautiful when she got out of the water, but that was nothing compared to what she looked like in that little black dress she wore on their anniversary. That blew everything out of the water.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Thanks to somuchmorethanpartners once again, and to ncislosangelos and ncisnewbie for their kind words. I have probably 4 more chapters and an epilogue planned. Thanks for reading, and please review! **

Ch. 5

Nell Jones always went grocery shopping on Saturday mornings, except when they had a weekend case. It was routine, probably the only part of her routine that was actually routine. Well, besides Eric. He was a constant in her life now too. One day her two constants, grocery shopping and Eric, met. And they weren't the only things that met, either.

~o0o~

_Crash! _"Hey, watch it!" Nell heard as she jolted against her shopping cart. "Oh, God, Nell, Sorry. I thought—"

Nell looked up at a wide-eyed Eric. "Sorry, I guess I bumped into you," she gestured to the aisle she'd just come from, "Blind corner. Why do you look so scared? I'm not mad . . ." she said, trailing off. While she was surprised to see her boyfriend shopping on a Saturday (he shopped on Sundays, as a general rule). She couldn't figure out why he was acting like that. Wasn't he happy to see her? She smiled at him expectantly.

"What're you doing here?" Eric asked, like he hadn't heard what she'd said.

"Um, shopping? This is the grocery store. What else would I be doing?" Nell rolled her cart back and forth, gesturing to the milk and eggs and stuff in the bottom. "And it's great to see you too, by the way."

"What? Oh—Sorry. Could you just—could you leave? I, uh, I'm busy at the moment. I'll see you tonight, okay?" Eric said, still edgy seeming. They'd been dating for six months and Eric was taking her out to celebrate that night. So, not only had Eric just told her to leave, he told her to leave on their half-year anniversary. Nell wasn't the type of girl to keep track of every single little 'important milestone' like an anniversary every month or whatever, but still, it kind of hurt to be blown off like that.

"Um, okay, you're being rude. Is there some reason I have to ruin my shopping trip just because you asked me to?" Nell asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Eric!" a female voice called. What in the world? Both Nell and Eric turned toward the noise. A slightly rotund middle-aged woman was hurrying their way, with a taller man trailing behind. Well, taller than the woman and tall to Nell, when the pair reached them, Nell saw that Eric was a good inch taller than the man and he was an inch and a half taller than the woman. They were both short, just not shorter than Nell. The woman had dark blonde hair and was wearing a bright pink floral shirt. The man had greying brown hair and they both wore glasses. Glasses that were quite similar in style to Eric's actually. And they both (besides their heights) looked remarkably similar to Nell's surfer.

Nell turned to her boyfriend, "Are these your parents?"

Eric was bright red by this point, "Uh, yeah. Mom, Dad, this is Nell. She's my girlfriend." He put an arm around Nell's shoulders and she smiled.

"Oh, _this_ is the girl you never shut up about?" Eric's mom asked.

Nell smirked up at Eric, "Really?"

"Oh, yes, for years. I would've sworn you were dating a week after you started working together, to hear him talk," Mrs. Beale jerked a hand at her son. "I'm Molly, by the way. But you've only been dating for what, five months?" She turned to Eric, "What took you so long to ask her out?"

"It's been six months today, actually, ma'am," Nell said, "Eric's taking me out later, or, at least, I thought he was but he's been acting strange today…"

"I'm sorry, Nell, I—" Eric started to say, but his father cut him off.

"He just didn't want you to meet us," Mr. Beale spoke for the first time. Nell was surprised at his gravelly voice; it was much different than his son's.

"I think you're right," Nell said, glancing at Eric out of the corner of her eye. Then she had an idea. She bit he lip to keep from smiling and said, "Don't worry, Eric _dear_, you're forgiven." She leaned up and kissed him, right in front of his parents.

She couldn't help but laugh at Eric when his face once again turned bright red. He started doing that cute stuttering thing he did when he was nervous, trying to apologize to his parents. Okay, so she probably shouldn't have kissed him in front of his parents, but _he_ shouldn't have been afraid of her meeting them, either.

Mrs. Beale saved Eric by saying, "So, Nell, Eric tells me that you're a computer whiz like him."

"Yes, ma'am, I guess you could say that. I'm smarter than Eric, anyway," she said, nudging him teasingly.

"Just how much smarter, exactly? I'm sure my parents would love to know," Eric said, turning to face her.

"Much smarter. That's all _you_ need to know." Nell gave him a look, "You know I won't tell you my IQ."

"Right. Oh, uh, Nell, by the way, will you marry me?"

"Nope."

It took Eric's parents a moment to recover. In that moment Nell and Eric both realized what his parents probably thought. Eric must have forgotten that they were standing there or something, because otherwise he probably wouldn't have 'proposed' without explaining. Nell and Eric both opened their mouths to explain at the same time, but Mrs. Beale cut them off, "Now, dear, I'm sure you don't mean that. It might seem sudden, but Eric is a great boy—I mean, man, and I'm sure you could be very happy together."

"Oh, no, Mrs. Beale, Eric was just joking," Nell said quickly.

"How do you know that?" Mr. Beale asked.

"It's a running joke we have," Eric explained, "She won't tell me her IQ, at least, until we're married, so I always pretend to propose, trying to get her to spill."

"It's a long story," Nell clarified when she saw the still puzzled looks on Eric's parents' faces.

"Oh." Mrs. Beale blinked, "But when you _do_ get married, you will tell him, right? He doesn't like not knowing things." She patted her son affectionately.

"Yes, Mrs. Beale, when we get married, I will be sure to tell him."

"_When_ we get married?" Eric asked, raising an eyebrow. Nell realized what she just said.

"Oh, um, you know, if, in a while, you ever feel like proposing for real then . . ."

"Then you'll say yes?"

"Not if you keep up with this attitude, Eric Beale!"

"Right. Sorry." Eric turned back to his parents. "Um, why don't we let Nell finish her shopping before her ice cream melts and," he looked back at Nell, "I'll see you tonight?"

"See you then, Wolfram." Nell hopped up on tiptoe to kiss him lightly before spinning away. As she pushed her cart down the aisle she heard Eric trying to explain why she'd called him Wolfram. She would have to ask him why she still went shopping with his parents. That's sure to be an interesting story.

~o0o~

So that was how Nell met Eric's parents. He would meet hers too, eventually, when she took him home with her for Thanksgiving. But that was rather uneventful. But before Thanksgiving, there was Halloween and another certain special moment.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Thanks to everyone who I've thanked before. I'm nervous about this chapter, though, so please review and tell me what you think. **

Ch. 6

Eric Beale is very particular about what he likes to wear. He hates pants and any kind of dressy anything. But sometimes Hawaiian shirts, shorts, and flip-flops won't cut it. _Especially_ when Nell dresses up.

~o0o~

"Hey!" Nell said brightly as she answered the door. She smiled and raised her eyebrows, clearly expecting some kind of response from him. "Eric?"

"Hmm?" Eric was having trouble thinking. Nell looked_ so_ beautiful. And kind of sexy. She was wearing a little black dress (wasn't there some kind of saying about all girls having to have one?) and black shoes. What were they called, wedges? Anyway, the shoes made her closer to his height, and made it easier for her to kiss him hello. Which she did as Eric stood there stupidly.

"Eric, please tell me the surprise place you're taking me to isn't my front porch," Nell said, rolling her eyes.

Eric recovered some of his senses. Maybe he'd never seen Nell dressed like this, but she was still _Nell_. The smart-aleck-y remark and the eye-rolling proved that much. "Nope, and nice try, but I won't tell you where I'm taking you," he said.

"I don't need you to tell me. I wasn't asking."

Eric snorted, putting a hand on her back and leading her down the steps to his car. The opened the door for her before going around and starting the engine.

He kept sneaking glances at her out of the corner of his eye as they drove along. She was nodding along to the radio and staring out the window. Probably trying to figure out where he was taking her.

"Is my hair green?" Nell asked suddenly.

"What?"

"My hair. Is it green? Is that why you keep looking at me like that?"

"Oh, uh, no, your hair is perfect, as usual."

"Eric, you're looking at me like I'm going to disappear. I'm not. I've stuck around for a year, one would think that you'd realize that I'm not going anywhere," Nell said, sounding frustrated, "And don't say it's because you think I'm beautiful or whatever, like you've said all the_ other_ times I've caught you staring at me."

"Hey, first off, I don't _think _you're beautiful, you _are_ beautiful. Second, sometimes I don't understand why you haven't disappeared."

"What?" Nell asked softly, "Why would you think I would leave?"

"Hell, I don't know, how about because you're the most amazing woman I've ever met and I have problems comprehending why you're hanging around!" Eric said, running a hand through his hair. He did not want to be having this conversation.

"So, what, you think I'm 'outta your league' or some other immature crap like that?" Nell asked, "Why is it I sometimes feel like our relationship is that of teenagers?"

"I'm sorry; excuse me for being a little insecure!" Eric was having a hard time keeping the car on the road. Why was this happening?

"Why are you—" she broke off, "You know what, pull over."

Eric wordlessly directed the car to the side of the road. He knew, or rather, he hoped that she wasn't mad, just frustrated.

"Why would you think I would leave?" she asked him directly, turning to face him.

"I don't know, okay? I just do."

"You may be awkward, geeky, and _way_ too tall, but you're also intelligent, kind, funny, you know me better than anyone, and I love you." Nell said, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. Her hair had gotten longer since … wait, what did she just say? Why was he thinking about her hair?

"You do?"

"Of course I do. I just haven't been brave enough to say it until now." She reached out and touched his cheek.

"Oh." Eric was very confused. Nell hadn't been brave enough to tell him that she loved him? Nell is one of the bravest people he knows. Sure, Kensi and Deeks and Sam and Callen put themselves in harm's way all the time, but it affected Eric more when Nell did it. "I love you too," he said after a pregnant pause.

"I know." Nell smiled and rolled her eyes. "Now kiss me, you idiot."

Eric once again found himself following her orders. At some point both of their seatbelts have been unbuckled and Eric leaned over the center console to kiss her. Nell's hands were in his hair and his were at her waist and they stayed that way for a very long time.

When they came up for air, Nell looked into his eyes, their faces bare inches apart, and said, "How important are those reservations?"

"What?" Eric wasn't quite thinking straight.

"Because if they aren't, I would suggest we take this to the back seat," she continued. Nell smiled, patted his cheek, and sat up straight to put her seatbelt back on.

"Right." He followed suit and put the car in drive. "Wait, how did you know I made reservations somewhere?" he asked after they were back on the road.

Nell laughed, "It's obvious you're taking me to the same restaurant we went to on out first date. And it's reservation only."

"Why do I even try?" Eric asked, throwing his hands up and smiling.

"Because you're sweet like that."

"Yep, that's me, sweet and, what was it, awkward and geeky and too tall? But don't worry, you're my genius girlfriend who calls me all those names and enjoys keeping secrets from me."

"What? I do not!"

"Uh-huh. Then what's you're IQ?"

"Oh, that. I told you a year ago, you have to wait."

"Don't you think waiting a year is long enough?"

"Maybe if you worked up the nerve to propose for real, we wouldn't be having this conversation in the first place." Nell smirked over at him.

"You're the one who wasn't brave enough to confess your love until just now. Don't you think a year is a bit long for that, too?"

"Excuse me, I said it before you did, Eric Beale!"

"I love it when you use my full name. Someday you're gonna share that name, mark my words."

"What if I decided to keep my maiden name? And what makes you think I'll say yes?" Nell raised an eyebrow.

"Of course you will. You love me, don't you?" Eric smirked, yes he could do it too, "What's wrong with 'Beale'?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. It's a great name I'd love to share someday, if my boyfriend would ever consider actually proposing."

"Maybe I have considered it."

"You have?" she sounded surprised. Why did she sound surprised?

"Yep. Now, let's talk about that dress," Eric quickly changed the subject.

"What about it?"

"Why haven't I seen it before?"

"It's not the kind of thing I would wear to work."

"Well, I like it. A lot." Eric said, pulling into the restaurant's parking lot. Nell keeps hinting that she want to get married. He hadn't jokingly proposed in probably half a year because he was afraid, with how serious they were becoming, that Nell would want him to stop fake proposing and start proposing for real. Maybe it _was_ time.

~o0o~

It took Eric forever to make up his mind about the proposing thing. He loved Nell and, strangely, she loved him too, but were they ready for marriage? One thing's for sure, when he did finally work up the nerve to ask, that was the most nervous he'd ever been.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N This is the longest chapter I've written for this fic, and probably the longest of any one of my fics. I've gotten some questions, so I feel like I should explain something. The paragraphs at the end of each chapter that have a sort of hint of something else? They do connect with the story, just the chapter after next. So the hint at the end of one connects with ch3 and the hint at the end of ch2 connects with ch4. They also correspond with the POV. The hints at the end of a chapter in Eric's POV will be what comes in the next chapter in Eric's POV. Sorry it was confusing. I hope you enjoy, this the latest and longest chapter, and please review and let me know if you like it!**

Ch. 7

Every year NCIS threw a Halloween party. Every year Nell hated going because she could never find a date. How could she invite someone to a work party if she wasn't supposed to tell anyone where she works? And it wasn't like she could go with someone_ from _work. Until Eric. This year, Eric had made a very big deal out of asking her to go to the party. He bought her flowers and everything. It was so sweet. They had been dating last year, but they had decided to hang at Nell's and pass out candy instead of going. _Then _they were too new a couple._ Now_ they weren't and Nell was ready to actually be among her work friends as Eric's date. But Eric obviously had a different idea about what to wear.

~o0o~

"Wow, Nell, nice cat suit," Eric said when she opened the door.

Nell moved aside to let him come in her foyer. "Um, first, it isn't a cat suit it's a cat costume. Second where's your costume? This is a _costume_ party, Eric."

"Oh, uh, I didn't know you were dressing up."

"I think everyone is. It was kinda on the invite email. The invite email that Hetty asked_ you_ to send to everyone."

"Do you really think Sam and Callen are going to dress up?"

"No, but since when are you on the same level with Sam and Callen?" Nell raised an eyebrow. Eric was going to dress up, whether he wanted to or not.

"Point taken. Do you think it is too late to buy a costume?"

"Yep!" Nell smirked, "But your amazing girlfriend had the foresight to know that you weren't going to buy one."

"You bought me a costume?" Eric looked dubious.

"Not exactly. I'm glad you got here early." She pulled him into the living room, pushed him onto the couch, and said, "Wait here."

Nell ran off toward her room, "I'm not wearing one of your dresses!" Eric called after her.

She laughed. "You wish," she said as she came back, her arms full of clothing. She thrust the clothes at him, "Put these on."

"What are they?"

"A costume." Nell waved him toward the bathroom. "Go put it on. I'll take care of te finishing touches when you come out."

A few minutes later, Eric was standing in front of her, awaiting inspection. Nell had him in red shorts and a white flowing shirt. He obviously had absolutely no idea what he was supposed to be.

"Take your shoes off," she ordered, walking around him.

"Why?" Eric asked, but he did what he was told, "What's up with this shirt? And why do you have it on-hand in your bedroom?"

The shirt in question was linen and had funky sleeves that Eric was clearly having problems with. The shirt also had a low neckline that exposed a lot of Eric's chest, a perk she hadn't thought of. "The shirt is my neighbors. He's about your size."

"Why do you have it?"

"I asked him for it."

"Why did _he _have it?"

"I don't know. What he wears on his upper body is his business," Nell said, rolling her eyes.

"But what I put on mine is your business?"

"Yes, because I'm the one you invited to a costume party without buying yourself a costume." Her look dared him to argue.

"Ok, how'd you get the shorts?"

"They're yours."

"I realize they're mine, but why do you have them?"

"You left them here."

"I did?"

"Yeah, remember the time you changed for the beach here? You left your clothes."

"Why didn't you return them?"

Nell shrugged, "I kept forgetting. Why are you asking all kinds of questions?"

Eric ran a hand through his hair, "What am I, again?"

"A pirate."

"How'd ya figure that?"

Nell snorted, "Don't worry; you'll look like one when I'm done."

He did look like a pirate when Nell declared herself finished. She'd gotten a pirate hat form her closet and drew a scar in eyeliner on his face. Regrettably, he hadn't let her give him facial hair, but that was okay because it was easier to kiss him without it anyway.

Eric was eyeing himself in the mirror and she was laughing at how uncomfortable he looked and gathering up the remnants of her costume making supplies.

"Hey, careful!" Eric said suddenly. Nell froze. She'd been about to toss the clothes Eric arrived in onto the back of her couch.

"Why?" She asked slowly, "It's just your shorts." Nell narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She'd been dropping hints about Eric proposing, but he seriously wasn't going to do it tonight, when she was wearing a cat costume (complete with ears and a tail) and he was a makeshift pirate. Her heart leapt when Eric walked over and pulled a jewelry box from the pocket of the shorts.

"Because I got you something," Eric opened the box. Inside was a small bat charm on the end of a silver chain. Nell sighed in relief. It was just a necklace. The bat had a purple stone to make up its body and black wings and ears. It was tiny, cute, delicate, and Nell loved it. "I figured, since it's Halloween . . ." Eric trailed off and shrugged.

"I love it," she paused, "Am I allowed to wear it tonight and show everyone I have the best boyfriend in the world?" Nell asked, smiling and pulling the chain from the box. Eric blushed and nodded. "I know this sounds cliché, but will you put it on me?"

"Sure," Eric took the necklace from her and she turned. He reached around her and clipped it around her neck. Instead of turning to face him, Nell leaned back against him and touched the bat hanging in the hollow of her throat.

Eric encircled her waist with his arms and pulled her close. She felt him pull her hair out of the way and kiss her neck. She closed her eyes.

"Uh, Nell? As much as I'd love to stay here with you all night, you seemed very excited about that party," he whispered in her ear.

"Right." She pulled away reluctantly and grabbed her bag.

Twenty minutes later, Nell and Eric walking into the decorated and smoky bullpen. Music was playing from somewhere and colorful lights were scattered around. Nell wondered idly who decorated.

After a few minutes of wandering around, Eric notices Sam and Callen a bit away with Michelle. He pulled Nell over to greet them.

"Hey, cool costumes," Sam said, his arm around his wife.

"Told you they wouldn't dress up," Eric said to Nell.

"Did I argue?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, Sam, are you too cool for a costume?" Callen asked his partner.

"You're one to talk. I'm more dressed up than you are," Sam said.

"Yeah, how?"

Sam solemnly held up his hand. On his pinkie finger was a cheap plastic spider ring. Nell laughed, "Yeah, G, he has you beat." They all talked for a bit more before Eric pulled her away. "Eric, slow down!

"Why? I want to talk to everyone, so I can show you off to as many people as possible," Eric said, but he stopped moving.

Nell smacked Eric's shoulder lightly for his comment and spotted Deeks and Kensi across the room. "Wow, Deeks is going to have his hands full."

Eric followed her gaze, "What do you mean?"

"Look at Kensi!" Nell said as if it was obvious. Which it was.

"What about her?"

"God, you're dense. Her costume." Nell rolled her eyes. Kensi was wearing a beautiful witch costume that exposed a lot of skin. "Kensi is going to have guys all over her. She's gorgeous. Don't tell me you didn't notice," Nell said, rounding on Eric.

"What? Yeah, she looks nice. But you're way sexier as a cat."

Nell snorted and turned to kiss Eric, but unfortunately, Deeks had noticed them.

"Hey, computer nerds, let's keep it PG," Deeks said as he approached with Kensi holding his hand.

"Only if you do the same thing," Nell said, wagging a finger between the two partners.

"No promises," Deeks grinned and pulled Kensi closer. She gave him a look that said, 'you will if I want you to.' Deeks was dressed as a superhero, his store bought costume included a cape and underwear worn outside of tights. Yes, tights. "Nice pirate costume," Deeks nodded to Eric, "Did Nell make it?"

"Yep. About five minutes before we headed here," Eric said, touching his hat.

"It's missing something," Deeks said thoughtfully. "Follow me."

None of them know what he had in mind, but they all followed him to where his desk was pushed against the wall. Reaching into a drawer, Deeks pulled out an eye-patch and offered it to Eric.

"Why do you have an eye-patch in your desk?" asked Nell.

"Why did you have a pirate hat in your closet?" Eric countered, pulling the eye-patch on over his glasses.

"Good point." They all laughed.

"So, Deeks, Nell was wondering how you're coping." Eric said after a minute, surprising the hell out of Nell. What was he doing?

"What do you mean?" Kensi asked.

"With Kensi, and all the men here." Eric said, glancing slyly at Nell.

Deeks was quiet for a minute. "You said that?" he asked Nell.

"Oh, yeah, I just meant, Kensi looks awesome." Nell blushed.

"So do you!" Kensi said, rolling her eyes. "Nell, _you _look great. Why can everyone but you see that?"

Eric spoke up, "She's right, Nell."

"She looks a helluva lot better than you, Eric, that's for sure," Deeks joked to break the tension. They all laughed.

Nell joked around some more with the team and danced with Eric some, but ultimately they left the party early.

When they got back to Nell's house, Nell went to change in her room and shooed Eric into the bathroom to do the same. She'd grabbed what she thought was her pajama top and pants off of her bed, but when she came into the living room, Eric's stare made her pause.

"Uh, Nell, you're wearing my shirt," Eric said, continuing to stare.

Nell looked down at herself and blushed. She _was _wearing his shirt. It was the one he's worn with the red shorts that day and had left at her house. She'd pulled it out of her closet when she grabbed the shorts and must've thrown it on her bed. Then, she'd been in a hurry to change and hadn't noticed. Oops. "Oh, sorry. I guess I grabbed it by accident." She turned to go back and change but Eric grabbed her hand.

"You don't have to change." Eric smiled, "You can have it, if you like it that much."

She let him pull her into a hug, her face still burning. He ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her softly. When he pulled back, Nell noticed he still had the scar on his cheek.

She laughed, "C'mere." She pulled him toward the bathroom, where she sat him down on the toilet and washed the makeup off his face. When she was finished, Eric pulled her into his lap. "Eric, you're sitting on a toilet," Nell raised an eyebrow.

"So?" he asked and kissed her neck.

"So that's not very romantic," Nell laughed and stood up, grabbing Eric's hand and pulling him through the adjoining door to her room.

"Uh, Nell . . ." Eric suddenly sounded nervous.

"Shut up and kiss me," Nell said, spinning around and kissing him. The kiss grew in intensity until, somehow, Eric was sitting on her bed and Nell was standing between his legs.

"Nell?" Eric said when they came up for air.

"Yeah?"

"It's late . . ."

"Yeah."

"Should I go?"

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I want you to stay."

"Okay."

Nell joined Eric on the bed and, for the first time, crawled under the covers next to him. She fell asleep curled up against his chest.

~o0o~

When Nell woke up the next day, she realized that she could wake up this way every morning if Eric would propose already. She also realized that Eric hadn't asked her about her IQ once the entire night. Maybe he didn't think it was all that important anymore. But she _would _tell him on their wedding day . . .


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N Here's the proposal chapter! I hope it meets with approval!**

Ch. 8

Eric Beale has been annoyed at Nell Jones, fallen for her, loved her, and now he was ready to finally, hopefully, make her his forever. He was going to propose. He got the whole team in on it, he talked to her parents and got their approval (and a few threats from her father), he prepared a speech to express his love, and he bought a ring. Eric did everything a man was supposed to do before proposing to the woman he loves. He should be ready, prepared. But then why did he feel so _un_prepared?

~o0o~

Eric took a deep breath and knocked. He was actually kind of proud of his sneakiness. He'd found out (by enlisting Kensi's help) that Nell had no plans tonight. So tonight as the night. He'd shown up at Nell's house to whisk her away to the beach in the moonlight, where they'd meet up with the team, and then he'd—

His review of the plan was cut off when Nell opened the door. "Hey, Wolfram . . ." she was confused, but she looked happy to see him. That was good. "What's up?"

"Will . . . Will you come with me somewhere?" Eric ran a hand through his hair. What if she said no? Maybe he should have told her about the beach party.

"Sure . . ." Nell trailed off, probably waiting for an explanation.

"Okay, thanks." Eric turned and walked halfway down her front steps before realizing that that was a little rude, and pausing to watch Nell grab her coat and lock her door.

Eric held the car door open for her like usual, and Nell looked like she wanted to say something or even kiss him, but he kept his distance. He was so nervous.

He got in the car and silently drove to the beach. Nell kept looking at him like she was worried about something. She probably was. He was very obviously acting funny.

When they got to the beach, Nell looked even more confused. "Romantic, spontaneous walk on the beach in the moonlight?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Eric chuckled despite his nerves, "Something like that." He put his arm around her and led her a little way down the beach. "More like spontaneous party on the beach in the moonlight with all your friends," he said, gesturing to where the team and their significant others were gathered around a bonfire.

Nell laughed, "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"What, you don't want a little mystery in your life, Nelly?" he said teasingly.

Nell laughed again. As they reached the beach bonfire and greeted everyone, Sam handed them each a beer, giving Eric a look that said, 'you really look like you need this.' There was country music playing in the background, songs that only Deeks knew the words to. Or, at least, he was the only one brave enough to sing along.

"Hello Mr. Beale, Miss Jones." A familiar voice said from the other side of the fire. Both Nell's and Eric's heads whipped up at the same time.

"Hetty?!" they said together.

"Yes?" Hetty asked calmly.

"I didn't realize you were coming," Eric said, recovering a bit. Great, now he had to propose to his girlfriend in front of, not only his friends, but his boss too.

"When something special happens to my team, I have to be there to see it," Hetty said, giving him a meaningful look.

"What?" Nell asked. "Why do I feel like I'm missing something?"

"Absolutely no reason. Nothing at all." Deeks said. Eric, if he was a physical person, could've smacked him. They were going to give it away! Kensi, like a mind-reader, took care of the smacking part herself.

Nell looked around warily. She was definitely suspicious. He had better get this over with before she caches on. "Eric, why do I feel like you're keeping something from your girlfriend?" Nell asked him, crossing her arms. So much for a complete surprise.

"Um, I don't know . . . why do you feel that way?" Eric stalled.

"Cut it out, Socrates. As your girlfriend, I feel entitled to know what's going on." Nell powered on.

"Why do you keep saying 'girlfriend'?" Eric asked. Okay, he could work with this.

"I'm sorry; do you want me to stop? I could not say girlfriend anymore, in fact, I could not be your girlfriend anymore, if that's what you want!" Nell said. She obviously didn't mean it; she was just annoyed at him and was being sarcastic.

"Ok."

"Ok?"

"Yep. I don't want you to be my girlfriend anymore."

"What?" Nell looked like he punched her. Okay, maybe that wasn't a good idea. He was trying to say that he wanted her to be his _fiancée_, not his girlfriend. He'd better hurry up before she hates him forever.

"I don't want you to be my girlfriend," he said again, sinking onto one knee and pulling the ring out of his pocket. "Nell Jones, I'm in love with you. You are the smartest, most intelligent woman I've ever met, and the most beautiful, too," Eric was acutely aware of all of his friends watching him, but he only cared about one face, "Nell, when I think about the rest of my life, I want you there with me, forever. It scared me, when I first realized that, but now, all that scares me it that I might lose you," he swallowed, "So, um . . ." he lost his train of thought, "Uh, if you'll give me your left hand—"

"Aren't you going to ask me?" Nell cut him off.

"What?"

"You said this wonderful speech, and then you asked for my left hand. Don't I have to agree to get the ring?" She smiled that pixie smile of hers and rolled her eyes.

"Will you marry me, Ununoctium?"

"Yes," she said, the teasing gone now.

_She said yes? She said yes!_ was all Eric's brain could come up with as he jumped to his feet and kissed Nell, picking her up and spinning her around. He heard the cheers of the team and Nell's soft whisper of, "I love you," in his ear.

"Can I have my ring now?" Nell asked after he let her go.

"Oh. Right." Eric handed it over. He really hoped she liked it. The ring was silver and simple and had a diamond flanked by purple sapphires. "Do you like it?" he asked nervously.

"Eric . . . it's beautiful," Nell said quietly, staring at it on her hand and fighting back tears, "Uh, what is this stone?" she asked, touching the sapphires gently.

"It's a, uh, purple sapphire. Sapphires with that coloration are very rare. Just like ununoctium. Just like you," he said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Nell was crying now and seemed really mad about it. She kept apologizing for her tears. It was kind of cute.

"Congratulations, Mr. Beale," Hetty said, as Kensi, Michelle, and, strangely, Deeks descended on Nell to look at the ring.

"Thanks, Hetty," Eric said, watching Nell.

Kensi turned to Eric, "Is there an engraving?"

"Oh, uh, no. I couldn't afford it," he winced.

"Leave him alone," Nell glared at Kensi, "It's my ring and I think it's perfect!"

Kensi held up her hand in the surrender position, "Sorry."

Eric smiled. He actually hadn't stopped smiling since Nell said yes. "You know what this means?" Eric asked her slyly. She raised an eyebrow, but didn't respond. "You have to tell me your IQ," he said smugly.

Nell laughed, "I can think of worse things." She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

~o0o~

They had stayed at the party with their friends for a while, but the left before everyone else. Nell had asked him to stay the night, so Eric did. He really, really enjoyed sleeping with Nell curled up next to him. He couldn't wait until they were married and he could sleep this way every night. Actually, he really couldn't wait until the honeymoon. He wondered where Nell would want to go . . .

**A/N For anyone out there that knows a lot about stones, I looked it up and purple sapphires can be rare if they are of a certain color and cut. So if you still have a problem with Eric calling them rare, just remember that it was a sweet thing for him to tell Nell. Please review, y'all!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N Here's the last official chapter! I still have an epilogue planned in Eric's POV, but this is the last chapter chapter. Thanks to starrynightshade for her help with ideas and wedding rings. I hope y'all like this it; it's what the whole story has been leading up to. Warning: there is some Densi in this chapter. **

Ch 9

A wedding. Every girl's big day. Some women like it so much they have multiple big days. Most girls dream about their wedding for their whole lives. What ten year old girl-child hasn't planned the ceremony out to the letter, organizing every detail except the groom? Nell Jones, soon to be Nell Beale, didn't care much about anything but the groom. Or so she told herself. Okay, so she_ did_ care, but Eric was that little detail that made the ceremony perfect. And Nell was determined that it would be perfect. So, of course, it was.

~o0o~

"You may now kiss the bride."

Nell looked up at Eric and bit her bottom lip slightly. She waited a moment before raising an eyebrow that clearly communicating, 'Are you going to kiss me, or just stand there?'

Eric cupped her face in his hand, pulled her toward him, and delivered probably one of the best kisses of Nell's life. When he pulled back slightly, she rested her forehead on his for a moment. Then she leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

She bounced back down on the balls of her feet, smirked at the look on Eric's face, and turned to face her family and friends. She was suddenly aware of their cheers. Nell smiled at her parents and new in-laws, who were on their feet side by side, and at her friends, who were all clapping.

Eric, God bless him, finally recovered his senses enough to lead Nell back down the aisle and out of the back of the church, his arm around her waist.

Nell wasn't sure where most brides spent the time between the ceremony and the reception, but she spent it in the bathroom and then with Eric, trying to calm her nerves.

Her wedding dress was beautiful, but there was no way she could dance in it, so she changed into a white sundress after making an excuse to Eric and running to the bathroom. Typically brides stay in their wedding dress, but at this point, Nell really didn't care what anyone thought.

After she changed, Nell found Eric talking to the caterer. "They're just finishing setting up, but all the guests are still in the chapel, so everything is set," Eric said as she walked up.

Nell sighed and the caterer discreetly left. "I think my heart is finally slowing down," she said.

"Well, I can't let that happen, can I?" Eric said, smiling as he pulled her into a kiss.

"God, Eric . . ." Nell whispered and leaned her head against his chest.

"So, question, Ununoctium: what's up with this ring?" Eric asked after a minute, looking intently at the band on his finger.

Nell laughed, "That, my dear husband, is wolfram." After a little research, Nell had discovered that they actually made tungsten wedding rings. The one she'd picked out for Eric had diamond-shaped facets, a light metal finish, and a small diamond in the center.

Eric slipped the ring off to get a closer look, "You got me a ring made out of my favorite element?"

Nell smiled at Eric's fascination with the ring, "Yep. Faceted tungsten carbide rings are actually more common than you'd think. But, be careful, if it gets stuck, the only way to get it off is to crack it with vice-grip pliers. It was kinda expensive, so don't go getting it stuck."

Eric smiled and put the ring back on, "No problem." He suddenly looked concerned, "You do like yours, don't you?"

Nell honestly hadn't even really glanced at it. She'd become so used to the weight of the engagement ring on her finger, that she barely noticed the smaller band beside it. She looked at it now. It was silver and had three small purple sapphires, obviously made to match he engagement ring. "Of course I love it." She quickly switched the rings' positions on her finger.

Their private moment was interrupted but their parents coming to whisk them away to the reception. The first dance, father-daughter dance, group dance with all the bridesmaids and groomsmen, and all the other dances that followed until Nell felt like her feet were going to fall off all passed quickly.

Finally it was time to eat, and then Nell got to smear cake in Eric's face. He took it like a man, only dabbing some icing on Nell's nose when it was his turn. Now they were just hanging out with their friends, listening to the music, talking, and resting their feet.

Nell saw Deeks across the room with his hand in his bulging pocket. Deeks finished up his conversation with the caterer and started back their way. Why was he talking to the caterer, and the DJ before him? Then it clicked. She jumped up and bolted to intercept Deeks and drag him into a corner of the room.

Nell heard Eric behind her. "You know, it's bad form for the bride to grab another man and pull him into a shadowy corner," he said dryly. She turned to explain, but he held up a hand, "I'm kidding. What's up?"

Nell rounded back on Deeks, who looked very apprehensive at this point. "When were you going to tell me you were planning to propose?" she demanded.

Deeks looked stunned, "How did you know?"

Nell rolled her eyes and started ticking off points on her fingers, "First, there's a ring box in your pocket. Second, you keep questioning everyone about all kinds of wedding related stuff. First, it was me about my ring, then it was the DJ and caterer and probably other people I don't know about. No guy does any of that unless it's for a good reason. So either, you're gay, or you're planning to propose to Kensi tonight."

Now Eric and Deeks were wearing equally stunned expressions. Nell rolled her eyes, "Oh, c'mon boys, it's not that hard to put the pieces together."

"Yep, I married a genius," Eric said, sounding proud and putting an arm around Nell.

"Why didn't you tell us? We could've arranged something!" Nell said, frustrated. She wanted her best friend's proposal to be as perfect as hers was.

"No, but I do need your help . . ." Deeks quickly told them his plan. They separated. Nell went to talk to the women and Eric returned with Deeks to their friends.

Nell watched Deeks pull Kensi into his lap, laughing. He really didn't look like someone who was about to propose. Eric had been so obviously nervous. She shook herself out of those thoughts and returned to her task. She was trying to convince her sister to go along with the plan. She had to cash in a few favors, but eventually all the unmarried women agreed. Nell supposed she was really stepping on tradition, but she still didn't really care. And, anyway, most of them _were_ happy to help. Everyone loves a good romantic gesture.

Nell returned to the table with her friends, rolling her eyes and muttering some excuse about having to socialize. No sooner had she sat down by Eric, than Deeks rounded on her.

"So, Nell, why'd you change out of your other dress? Is that like a common thing, or something?" he asked, obviously still 'researching' weddings.

Nell shrugged, "Did you _see _that thing? Do you really think I would be able to dance or _move_ in it?" She raised an eyebrow.

They all laughed. "You look beautiful in both," Eric said, kissing Nell's cheek and tucking her under his arm.

But Deeks obviously wasn't finished questioning her. "What did you whisper to Eric right after he kissed you?"

"When?"

"Up on stage, you whispered in his ear. What did you say?" Deeks elaborated. Nell suspected that he was through studying weddings, and had moved on to prying into her personal business.

Kensi slapped his arm. "That's personal," she admonished her boyfriend.

Callen spoke up, "Yeah, you don't see me asking Sam what he whispers to Michelle late at night."

"Yeah, well, do you really want to know?" Sam asked, "Cuz I could tell you."

"No thanks," Callen said.

"Yes, well that's sweet, but I do want to know what Nell said," Deeks obviously wasn't giving up.

"Why?" Eric asked.

Deeks shrugged, "Because I'm impishly curious."

Nell rolled her eyes. "I told him my IQ," she said, realizing that Deeks wasn't going to give up.

Deeks wrinkled his nose, "I was hoping for something more romantic than that."

Nell sighed and, with Eric's help, explained to everyone about their deal. Kensi suddenly interrupted Deeks repeated query of what exactly Nell's IQ was.

"I _love _this song!" Kensi said, jumping up and pulling Deeks onto the dance floor with her. Predictably, their dance ended with Deeks giving Kensi a passionate kiss, bending her backwards as the song ended.

Various guests around the room, people on the dance floor, and the team at their table all began clapping and cheering. Almost everyone in the room knew about Deeks proposing by now.

Nell grabbed Eric's hand. "Now's as good a time as any," she said.

A few minutes later, Nell was standing on the stage with her mother and Eric, bouquet in hand. She really hoped she didn't mess this up. Deeks had already fixed the ring onto the bouquet, so all she had to do was toss it where Kensi could catch it. And hope that the other women kept their promise.

Nell bit her lip, turned around, and flung the flowers as far in Kensi's general direction as she could. Not waiting a second after the bouquet left her hand, she spun around and watched as it landed perfectly in Kensi's arms.

Nell squealed and grabbed Eric's arm, pulling him down off the stage to where the team was converging on Kensi. Kensi herself was focused on the bouquet, fingering the silver ring tied to the flowers. She looked up at Nell, questions in her eyes, but Deeks stepped forward and immediately he was all Kensi saw.

Deeks gently took the bouquet from the hands of a very stunned Kensi, pulled the ring off, and handed the bouquet to Eric, all the while never taking his eyes off of his girlfriend. "Kensi Marie Blye," he said.

"Martin Deeks," Kensi replied, looking him in the eye.

Deeks smiled a little and kneeled. Kensi pursed her lips, not reacting in any visible way. "Kens, I'm just gonna cut to the chase, will you marry me?" Deeks held the ring up.

"Stand up, you idiot," Kensi rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

Everyone watched as Deeks slowly rose. If she hadn't been holding her breath waiting for Kensi's reply, Nell would have laughed at the expression on Deeks' face.

Kensi punched Deeks on the arm. "_That's_ for surprising me like this." She grabbed his shirt and pulled him close to kiss him. "And that's for being you," she whispered, even though everyone heard her. "Yes, I'll marry you."

Nell smiled as Deeks' face lit up. She was so happy. Could this day _get_ any more perfect? She felt a hand on her arm and turned to see Eric smiling at her. "Let me know when you're ready to go," he said softly. Okay, yes, this day can get better.

Nell looked at the bouquet still in Eric's hand. "You might want to give that back to Kensi first," she said.

"Right," Eric hadn't seemed to have realized her was still holding it.

Nell laughed, "I think we obviously have some things to finish up here, but then, yes, I'm definitely ready to go."

"Great." Eric kissed her.

~o0o~

Nell was so glad she finally found someone to share her life with. And she was so glad that person was Eric. She loved him so much. She could handle the hard cases, the tragic ones, the ones that kept her up all night, because she had Eric right there beside her. Nell couldn't ask for anything more.

**A/N Please let me know what you think! And, yes, tungsten wedding rings are real things, I spazzed when I found out about them. They are really cool looking, y'all should check them out. **


	10. Epilogue

**A/N Sorry it took so long! I lost my notebook, and then I started writing it, but I wasn't even halfway through and it was longer than all of the other chapters, and this is the epilogue, so that was a bit of a problem. But I fixed it, so here it is! It's also more of a normal chapter than an epilogue, but the whole point of this story was to lead up to Nell telling Eric her IQ, and she has, so because this comes after, it has to be an epilogue. Plus, I'm just a fan of epilogues. **** Thanks to somuchmorethanpartners again for the help with this whole story along the way and to starrynightshade for her help with this chapter too! Hope y'all like it!**

Epilogue

Eric Beale could never be happier. Well, at least, that's what he felt like as he was driving to Disneyland for his honeymoon. Nell and Eric had thought long and hard about where they should go, and Disneyland (as childish as it sounds) turned out to be the perfect place. It was close, so if there was an urgent case, they could be back at work in no time. It also reflected the somewhat childish nature of their relationship. Plus, one of Eric's childhood dreams was to be an Imagineer, so this was like a dream come true.

~o0o~

Eric glanced over at Nell. She was leaning her head against the car window, obviously trying to fight sleep. It was a short ride to their honeymoon destination, and the newlyweds were enjoying a comfortable silence as Eric drove.

After insisting that Nell stay in the car, Eric went inside to check into the hotel. When he returned, Nell was asleep. Eric was a little tired too, but Nell's day was probably was worse than his, just because she was a bride. He imagined that it took a lot of effort. Chuckling slightly, he gathered up their bags, trying to take as long as possible before waking up his wife.

"Hey, Nelly? We're all set?" he shook her gently.

"Hmmm . . ?" she sat up and shook her head, "Sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep."

Eric smiled and helped her out of the car, "S'okay, you're cute when you're asleep."

Nell rolled her eyes and went to grab her bags, but Eric intercepted her. "Eric. . ." she complained.

"Nope, sorry, I'm carrying all the bags. It's my duty as husband, and also kinda tradition," Eric said, maneuvering all the luggage into his arms.

"I'm not helpless," Nell argued good-naturedly.

"Oh, believe me, I know. You're probably armed and definitely dangerous, but that doesn't change a thing," he said, managing to hold the door for her and balance the bags.

Nell rolled her eyes, "Next, you'll want to take the stairs."

"Yeah, no. The elevator is that way," he said, pointing.

Nell laughed and they made their way up to their suite. The whole way up, Eric wouldn't even let her press the button in the elevator for herself. He could tell that it was sorta getting on her nerves, but he really enjoyed annoying her a bit, and it's not like he didn't have an excuse.

When they got to the door, Eric dropped their bags in the hall and unlocked the door. Nell looked at him questioningly, "What're you doing?" she asked, eyeing him.

Eric just smiled and scooped her up in his arms. He kissed her to muffle her surprised squeal and took her inside, dropping her unceremoniously on the bed. "Eric Beale!" Nell shrieked as he returned to the hall to get the bags and shut the door.

"Yes?" he asked, a teasing glint in his eye.

Nell glared at him, "I think you know."

"But you love me anyway," Eric said cheekily, moving around the room unpacking. Nell tried to get up and help but he waved a hand at her until she settled back down on the bed.

"Eric, you don't have to wait on me hand and foot for me to love you," Nell said, raising an eyebrow. She was only half-teasing him.

"I know that. But_ I_ love _you_, so gosh-dang-it, I'm gonna be gentlemanly." He came to sit by her on the bed.

Nell laughed, "My mom always told me that a true gentleman is a gentleman around everyone: strangers, people he loves, people he hates . . ." she kissed him lightly, "She also told me not to fall for anyone who's not a gentleman."

"Did you take her advice?" Eric asked softly.

Nell smiled impishly, "I guess we'll find out in the morning." She kissed him one more time and spun away to the bathroom.

Eric sat a moment pondering her words. She'll know tomorrow if he's a gentleman or not? What could happen tonight that would—

Oh. Right. Wedding night. Eric blushed and picked up the hotel directory so he could have something to flip through until Nell finished in the bathroom. He couldn't say that he hadn't thought about tonight, because he definitely had, but once they got here all those thoughts were kinda drowned out by Nell. Well, all thoughts were drowned out by her. He honestly wasn't sure what exactly she wanted, so he wasn't going to bring it up. But now that she had, albeit indirectly, he couldn't stop wondering what it was she wanted. He shook his head and tried to focus on anything else. A few minutes later he heard the bathroom door open and looked up.

"Oh my gosh." Eric dropped the directory into his lap.

"Whatcha think?" Nell asked, twirling around. His mind worked to come up with something to say, but nothing wanted to come out. Nell laughed and climbed up next to him in bed. He automatically put his arm around her, finally finding some words.

"I think it's very . . . black and tight and lacey and, um, extremely sexy," Eric made a strangled noise, running a hand through his hair. He looked down at the fabric covering his wife and suddenly very desperately wished it wasn't there.

Nell rolled her eyes with a smile and leaned up to kiss him. He'd already had his arm around her shoulders, but now it slipped down to her waist as she moved closer to him to deepen the kiss. She climbed into his lap and ran her fingers through his hair. After a minute they pulled back to catch their breath, foreheads inches apart. Then, as if by mutual consent, they were kissing again. Well, with the way this kiss was going, Eric was going to get his wish.

Eric woke up the next morning with Nell pressed against him. Looking down at her sleeping form, he tried to figure out how to get out of bed without waking her up. It took some doing, but apparently she was really tired, because she didn't stir as he moved her onto the bed next to him, pulled the covers around her, kissed her forehead, and quickly walked to the bathroom.

He turned the water on as hot as it would go and took a quick shower. When he was done and dressed, he returned to the main room, expecting to see Nell awake by now. But she wasn't, which was perfect for his plan.

Grabbing a yellow sticky note from his bag, he scrawled, "Went to get you breakfast. Hopefully I'll be back and you won't even get this note, but if you do, I'll be back soon! Love you!" on it and stuck it to the headboard of the bed.

Turns out, it took him longer than he thought it would to get breakfast. The hotel provided trays for guests to take food up to their rooms, but the line was really long, so Eric had to wait in line behind a bunch of other husbands and boyfriends getting food for _their _loved ones. Then he had to wait in a different line to get the actual food itself. All in all it probably took half an hour at least.

When Eric came back into the room, Nell was sitting cross-legged on the bed, fully clothed and recently showered. Great. So much for a surprise breakfast in bed.

"Good morning," he said, as he crossed the room.

"Morning, Wolfram," Nell kissed his cheek as he sat the tray on her lap.

"You know, you weren't supposed to wake up," Eric said, sitting next to her and putting his arm around her.

Nell raised an eyebrow, "What exactly was I supposed to do?"

"You were supposed to stay asleep until I came up with the food. I was gonna surprise you."

"Eric, I woke up naked, a fact I expected you to remember, since it was kinda your fault."

Eric made a face, "I hadn't thought of that," he said.

Nell laughed, "Thanks for bringing me breakfast." She kissed him lightly, but what started as a chaste peck quickly escalated. Eric cupped her face in his hand and she was turning more toward him . . .

Nell jerked back suddenly, grabbing the tray in her lap, "Sorry, I almost spilled it," she said breathlessly.

Eric laughed, "C'mon, eat up, you don't want it to get cold," he nudged her playfully.

Nell rolled her eyes, but she did as she was told. "Have you eaten?" she asked when she was about half done with the mountain of food he'd brought her.

"Uh, no, I have not."

"Well, here," Nell thrust the rest of her food at him, "You brought me too much, anyway."

Nell watched him, smirking, until he cleaned the plate. "So what do you want to do today?" he asked, setting the tray on the bedside table.

"What do you want to do?" Nell replied, watching his face closely.

"Whatever you want to do . . ."

Nell sighed, "Eric, I love you, but this is your honeymoon too. You don't have to do everything for me, and you get to make decisions."

Eric wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck, "What if my decision is to do whatever you want?" he mumbled into her skin.

"Eric!" Nell pushed him away from her. "Stop being difficult."

"Okay, fine, you want to know what I want to do? I want to ride Mickey's Fun Wheel."

Nell bit back a smile, "Is that all?"

"No, I want to ride all the rides and eat ice cream and buy little mouse ear hats," Eric said, smiling.

"Then that's what we'll do," Nell said decidedly, patting Eric's leg.

Eric smiled and grabbed Nell around the waist, pushing her back on the bed. "Just so you know, I got to do plenty I wanted to do last night," he whispered.

Nell snorted and propped herself up on her hands, "Does this mean you don't want me anymore?" she mock-pouted.

"I don't think I could stop wanting you if _your_ life depended on it," Eric paused and added thoughtfully, "Actually, I think I could do anything if your life depended on it."

Nell's lips quirked into a small, almost sad, smile. "Yeah, well," she sighed and grabbed his hand, "C'mon, let's go ride that Ferris wheel."

~o0o~

Eric most definitely enjoyed the rest of their honeymoon. They had a wonderful vacation (despite one annoying old lady) and when they returned back home they settled into their first apartment, then their first home. Eric was right, he never did stop wanting Nell, and he never stopped showing her everyday how much she meant to him. It seemed funny to him, looking back, that all this started with one silly number . . .

**A/N So that's it! It's over! But part of the reason this update took so long was that I kept getting hit with ideas for their married lives together, so I might be posting some of those, if anyone is interested. I already have a one-shot written (it's about the lacey black thing Nell wore on their wedding night) but I want to know if anyone is interested. Thanks so much to everyone who's read/reviewed/favorited/followed this story, I love y'all so much! Thanks for making this the most read/reviewed/favorited/followed story I've written. Love y'all!**


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